Stuck in the middle of love
by animeangel876
Summary: Tenten and Neji seem to be drifting apart. When the chance comes should shhe leave her failing marriage behind to have a new exciting life in Suna with a certain Sand shinobi? NejiTen and KankTen
1. Chapter 1

Okies I know I have a love for KankyTen but I also have a soft spot for NejiTen, so I'm mixing the both together .

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Tenten threw out old weapons on the rubbish heap outside the shed. She brushed a cobweb caught in her hair leaving a streak of dirt across her face. Neji should be doing this – as usual on a Saturday afternoon – he'd swanned off to train with the cronies AKA Lee and Gai their former teammates.

The radio beside her played some old song she didn't recognise but the lyrics were describing what seemed to be the failing marriage of hers and Neji's.

'Some hope', she thought.

She'd been nagging Neji for weeks to clear the shed, but like the millions of other jobs, she'd ended up doing herself.

'I sound more like my mother everyday', she thought. 'Driving him away just as my mother drove away my father, and the numerous "uncles" who replaced him'

She still loved Neji, but her feelings were stifled by the monotony of their marriage.

They used to have such fun together. Now there was always so much to do. The pressure of her job meant the weekend was the only time her had for housework and gardening. She knew marriage needed nursing through the bad patches, but was worried that hers was terminally ill.

Out went a broken katana, then a torn headband, then the "important" mission scroll that they retrieved on a "mission" but in fact it was a dud, a fake mission Tsunade had set up to see if Tenten and Neji were worthy of joining ANBU.

She smiled, remembering the way she teased him as he sat there trying to decode the language on the scroll he had never seen before, this caused him to be surrounded by book after book and many sleepless and late nights. As she had teased him so much about the time he wasted on trying to decode a load of gibberish, in retaliation he'd turned the hose on her until they both ended up soaking wet. The best part had been drying each other afterwards.

She sighed at the memory.

At the back of the shed she found the bikes. She'd forgotten they existed. Before they were married they'd often cycled the lanes of Konoha with no particular destination in mind. They'd eat their picnic by a riverbank watching the Genin tack back and forth trying new Jutsu and trying their hardest at numerous Taijutsu and Ninjutsu techniques. Neji often disapproved as she helped she Genin with correct postures but deep inside he was pleased at daybreak with her growing into the confident young girl to the independent woman she had become, he was pleased to call her his own. She knew remembering back to his Genin days was painful for Neji due to his hatred of the Head of the Hyuuga but his hatred had now subsided to a mere dislike. His love was Tenten was the strongest feeling he had. When it was a hot day by the river they'd dangle their feet in the water and watch the marsh harriers swoop over the edge covering most of what they could see.

On one of those outings Neji had proposed. It had started to rain and they'd sheltered in an old barn on the borderline of Konoha. With their backs against the hay bales, her head nestled into Neji's arm; they'd listen to the constant tapping of the rain on the corrugated iron roof, not saying a word.

Neji had broken the silence.

"I've been thinking Tenten, why don't we marry?"

"Are you serious?" she asked.

"Think about it, you can move out of your parents and come live with me in th-"

"Hyuuga estate right?" Tenten interrupted.

"Yes it will be bett-"

"Better than living with my mother?" Tenten said once again interrupting the Hyuuga.

"Yes because I don't want to see you suffer like you have from your mother's behaviour, I know being a Hyuuga won't be easier but you'll have me to guide you and protect you, especially from those…'dreams' " Neji replied gently stroking her hair reassuringly.

She knew exactly what dreams he was talking about. But they weren't dreams they were nightmares. Gaara had killed her father at the chuunin exam disaster of the Sand's betrayal. After that her mother had taken his death out on Tenten by hitting her, she could never hate her mother though, she loved her too much. But how could someone blame their daughter for the death of her father just because she inherited her father's determination and the most obvious one his eyes? She'll never understand.

After some thought she finally the answer Neji had hoped for.

"I expected a much more romantic proposal than that" she teased.

With that Neji stood up and melodramatically dropped on one knee, gazing at her with an almost boyish look of intensity. This was one of the situations where Neji left his cold shell to be what seemed to be a completely different person everyone knew.

"Miss Tenten, will you do me the honour of giving me your hand in marriage and becoming Mrs Hyuuga Neji. And of course I'd like the rest of your desirable body as well."

She'd burst out laughing and playfully pushed him backwards. Then she'd rolled on top of him enthusiastically and said, "Yes!"

Between kisses they'd talked of their dreams and the children they'd have. She wished it could have lasted forever.

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What do you think? Should I take the story down and scrap the idea or keep it and write the next chapter?

Review and tell me what you think. Constructive criticism which tells me I've done wrong I'll allow but reviews saying you hate the couple is just a waste of my time and yours. There is also going to be a small amount of KankTen in the next chapter or two. This story isn't going to be very long, 3 chapters max.

Kryssie xx


	2. Chapter 2

Seems my new story is okay? So I'll carry on. When I said last time it would be 3 chapters it'll probably be more at the way I've been getting ideas for this story. I should be updating some of my other stories this weekend. I have a really bad habit of writing new stories and forgetting the older ones. Hopefully I'll correct that this weekend. Maybe not on Sunday though because it's one of those family reunion things where I'll see cousins I ain't seen in months or my wicked aunt who I don't really like yah and the rest…you know the drill, you review I write. I also changed a little of the first chapter, you don't have to reread it but you may have to in case you get a little confused, it's just instead of her father hitting Tenten it suppose to be her mother, her father was the one who was killed by Gaara.

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Recap: Neji had left Tenten to do the jobs around the house he was suppose to but never did, so clearing out the shed she came across the old bikes her and Neji used to ride before they married. This stirred some memories within Tenten and we get to see a little of her past.

Story start: (This is just carrying on in the past now.)

But the dreams they promised one another hadn't lasted forever like they planned and there were no children. Tenten had to be decommissioned from working in ANBU for abandoning the mission to protect a person she didn't even know, after all the work she had put into getting into ANBU had gone to waste. Neji could do nothing as she locked herself away while Hinata kept her company in the nights. He was away on missions while she started to take up drinking sake. This was the time they started to drift apart, when Neji was told of Tenten's addiction, he was really angry with himself for letting her get into that state.

The moment he'd heard the news Neji stormed around to the bar where the biggest horror sat before his eyes. Tenten was kissing Shikamaru. The whole world so to almost freeze around him, every second passing like it was an hour.

This was the woman that supposedly loves him.

This was the woman he agreed to spend the rest of his life with.

This was the woman that just broke his heart.

Not being able to take it anymore he ran out of there to get as far away as possible, he tried to stop the tears but they seemed to have no end. Running to the forestry nearby Neji just let it all out as he flung himself against a tree, he couldn't control his emotions as they took over him, his only love was now gone.

"N-N-Neji-nii-s-san?" a voice stuttered nearby

Looking up it was his two younger cousins. Hinata and Hanabi.

"H-Hinata-sama, Hanabi-sama, is there something I can assist you with?"

"H-Hanabi g-go home now p-please" Hinata stuttered.

"Nani? Make me" Hanabi, said having a strop, crossing her arms. She knew what Hinata was doing, trying to make her get away so she didn't have to know the reason why Neji was upset.

"N-now!" Hinata shouted just enough to be heard.

"Why should I be the one who gets sent away while you don't? I mean Neji is just as much as your cousin as he is mine, stop acting like you're superior all of a sudde-"

Neji saw nothing but heard a sound that was all too familiar.

Hinata had clouted Hanabi across her cheek.

Neji was shocked more than anything, his gentle relative who wouldn't harm a flower had just hit her younger sister.

"G-go home now Hanabi" Hinata commanded shocked at her own actions.

"You are so in trouble with Father for this, you hear me Hyuuga Hinata" Hanabi screamed almost on the edge of tears running off into the night.

Neji was almost amused at the sight in front of him but the thought of Tenten and Shikamaru once passed through his minds' eye making the tears run again.

"N-Neji-nii-s-san are y-you o-okay? Y-you look a l-little shaken", Hinata muttered to nothing in particular. This was the first time the hesitant woman had ever seen him cry but he wasn't crying, he was more sorrowing, as if he done something wrong and was frightened of the consequences.

"I-It's nothing Hinata-sama" he replied getting to his feet trying to wipe the tears away unnoticeably.

"I-is it b-because T-Tenten-san is…w-well…s-s-spirituous?" stuttered Hinata choosing her words carefully.

"Tenten is not an alcoholic!" he shouted angry for her to know what shouldn't have been known to anyone in the Hyuuga family. "How long have you known!?"

"I-er-I" Hinata stuttered getting frightened at Neji's abrupt change of mood.

"HOW LONG?!" he shouted getting louder grabbing her shoulders and pinning her against a tree.

Not being able to hold it in any longer, Hinata burst into tears.

"You really think that crying is going to change this situation? How long have you known Hinata? If you don't tell me, I swear to Kami that you will regret this so much!" He roared setting off his Byakugan.

Right now he didn't care if he killed Hinata to get the truth, he was going to find out one way or another.

"Jyuuken!" Neji yelled aiming for her heart, after all Hyuuga Neji was no liar and he did stick to his word.

He couldn't move.

It was like if he was in some sort of a trance, trying he finish the job he started Neji tried moving his hand again.

But to no avail.

"I believe that's quite enough of that"

His body was defying what his mind wanted; Neji turned around.

"Sh-Shikamaru-kun!" Hinata cried.

She was right, the Nara was there and he had the pissed Hyuuga caught in his Kagemane.

"You were so focused on Hinata, you didn't realise I'd slipped behind you" Shikamaru explained more to Hinata than Neji. "Come here Hinata, I don't think you should be there"

Hinata scrambled from where she was cornered to behind Shikamaru who was a safe distance away from her temperamental relative.

"Why the hell are you getting involved with my family affairs?" Neji spat.

"Family affairs? If that is the family affairs of the Hyuuga Clan then I do pity Hinata and Tenten" Shikamaru affirmed.

"How dare you! How dare you say such things about the Hyuuga, you know nothing of my family so do not get involved where you are not wanted!" Neji shouted, he was getting angrier by the minute.

"If you aren't careful Nara then there may be two deaths tonight"

Neji went silent, he needed to calm down, calm down real quickly. If he killed Hinata then it would be his funeral too. The Hyuuga may not care what happened to Hinata but they wouldn't be pleased with him breaking the family tradition of the Branch protecting the Head.

"Let me ask you something Shikamaru, if you are happily married to that woman from the Sand then why do you seek Tenten?" Neji stated more than asked.

"Seek her? I have no desire for Tenten, she is a wonderful woman but lately she has gone downhill, I was only there to do the job YOU are suppose to be doing, and that "woman" has a name and it's Temari." Shikamaru replied, he was treading on thin ice here, he may have trapped the Hyuuga for now but sooner or later the Kagemane would release him, he was hoping later rather than sooner. More importantly he needed to get him and Hinata out of there and quick.

Neji chuckled quietly.

Shikamaru didn't like this one bit.

"Don't you dare ever tell me how to treat my marriage for it is none of your concern and what "job" am I meant to be doing?" Neji claimed.

"Comforting her, she loves you more than you think and if you're not careful you're going to lose her. You may have seen that sight in the bar but I believe she may have delved for comfort more than that simple chaste kiss with me." Shikamaru smiled as him.

"More?" Neji raised an eyebrow. 'Tenten wouldn't cheat on me would she?'

"Believe me, the way you have ignored her needs have forced her to look for amenity in someone else" Shikamaru said, he felt sorry for Neji than anything but the truth needed to be told. He believed it had to come from him after all, Tenten's affair was with no one but his brother-in-law.

"W-who is it?" Neji coughed, the tears were coming back, and he could feel their familiar sting.

"I apologise Neji but it isn't my place to tell you who it is, you must find that out for yourself."

Feeling it was safe to release the Jutsu, Shikamaru walked off into the night.

Hinata didn't know what to do. Whether to comfort Neji or to follow Shikamaru. Deciding to stay with Neji she was about to sit alongside him when Shikamaru called out to her.

"Hinata…Hinata! Come along, it may be troublesome but I'll walk you back to the Hyuuga estate" Shikamaru called.

"C-coming!" Hinata called.

Taking one last glance at her pitiful accomplice, Hinata ran off to the sound of Shikamaru's voice.

The walk back to the Hyuuga was rather an uncomfortable silence.

"Sh-Shikamaru-kun? D-do you know who T-Tenten-san's other boyfriend is?" Hinata muttered quietly to the floor.

"I have my suspicious but it isn't my place to say if it is true or not. Neither of us should intervene Hinata, as Neji rightly said, is it his and Tenten's marriage not ours, we can offer words of assurance and comfort but not take the matter into our own hands" Shikamaru said looking into the night sky.

"H-hai…b-but you w-weren't the one who had to hold T-Tenten-san while she was c-crying Shikamaru-k-kun and I-I cannot o-offer words of w-wisdom like y-you" Hinata shyly replied.

"Do you're best is all I can really say." Shikamaru answered. "Well we're here, Goodnight Hinata"

"G-goodnight" she responded in a state of confusion and shock.

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I don't usually write a chappie this long but I felt inspirational and it would have reeaaalllly been confusing if I put into two chapters. And this rate it's going to be loads of chappies.

Okies this is gonna confused you but I'm going to be switching back and forth between the past and present in this story so you understand what is happening. If you don't like it then review or message and I'll stay in the present tense and explain everything when I come to the end, or would you prefer to stay the way I'm writing now? Help me to help you okies : R&R please,

Kryssie xx


	3. Chapter 3

Okies next chappie, sorry this came out later than I planned, damn internet screwed up on me again, so I'm begging my parents for a new computer for xmas, no more laptops for me. I've had two laptops in a year and they both were fucked, so ya here's a tip for you guys planning to get a laptop, don't bother! Or maybe it's just me, either way I know I'm babbling so I'm going to shut up.

P.s. when I mention Hinata's mom and Neji's mom in this story, it isn't their real names during the manga/anime; I haven't got a clue what they are so I made some up.

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Story recap: Neji had walked into a bar and saw Tenten kissing Shika, he ran off in tears, Hinata found him and then was almost killed by him, if Shikamaru hadn't turned up when he did, Hinata would of probably died.

Story Start: (Still in the past)

Hinata couldn't sleep that night, both Neji and Tenten hadn't returned back to the Hyuuga Mansion. She was worried sick and was physically sick.

Sick with blood. Any emotion turmoil caused to her to cough up blood. She hated it.

She refused to go to a doctor about it. When Tenten had found out she tried to make Hinata go to Tsunade about it but Hinata had declined Tenten's "kind gesture." Tenten couldn't argue though once she found about her addiction.

So each other's secret was kept safe, they promised each other that if one of them told another then they would have to get their problem sorted out. Every Hyuuga probably knew of her weakened state but refused in fear of either having their curse seal used against them and no one in the Head truly cared. Her mother was too frightened of Hiashi and Hanabi just followed what ever her father did. The Elders just saw her as a troubled attention-seeking waste. The pressures of the Clan rules were starting to affect Tenten.

One time when training with Neji, Hinata had fallen to the ground, Hinata hated herself not being to stand up against her cousin. Her Father had refused his little "protégé" to be defiled by Hinata's weakness. Hinata often wished she was the Branch of the family and Neji was the Head. It just felt like it was meant to be. He the strong warrior had that right unfairly taken from him. While she was never meant to be a Hyuuga, she never should have had the "privilege" of calling herself a Hyuuga as Hiashi had often said. Not able to recall any proper memories of her uncle but from the Hyuuga women he was a kind person. There was one memory of him she'd never forget, she can't remember what happened but somehow a younger 3 year old Hinata had ended up on the floor, crying as a lot of children would have. Her father had left her calling her weak, after her father left the room, Hizashi had helped her to her feet comforting and covering her in his "magical" kisses that would make it all better. This was the only time he had ever shown affection to Hinata, she didn't understand why he didn't hate her for being a Head daughter. Even at 20 years old she still didn't know and she was too frightened to ask her father for an explanation. But that was something Hinata was jealous of Neji for, she couldn't careless if he was stronger or anything, she was jealous on how he had a loving father was hers was as Tenten called him, a "stuck-up prick that didn't know the difference between his face and his ass." This of course made Hinata giggle but when her father heard what was said then guilt struck like lightening, she was meant to stand by for father not bitch about him behind his back.

Getting up from bed, Hinata wrapped a kimono around her slender body, she couldn't help but feel cold. She had the feeling of being watched, activating her Byakugan, she looked out through her window for any clue for any watcher. Feeling a little safer, Hinata had not seen anything suspicious apart from Tenten and Neji returning, from what she could see Tenten was drunk again. Usually it was Hinata who went out this time of night to fetch her drunken cousin-in-law but deciding tonight it would be best for Neji to so they can sort out their precious marriage.

Still keeping a watchful eye on Tenten, Hinata hoped that their marriage would sort out.

They were all each other had, Tenten's mother was an alcoholic whore and Neji's mother had no interest in raising her own son, it was before Hizashi's death that Neji's mother had abandoned Neji. Her real name was Kyowa but Hizashi had dubbed her "Kyou" (A/N: Kyou means bad luck in Japanese.)

Neji had of course didn't care who is mother was as he was naturally raised without one, but because of her selfishness, Neji had to suffer. When she was rarely mentioned Neji was often say "Never mention Hyuuga no Kyou no Haha in front of me" (A/N: "Hyuuga no Kyou no Haha" basically means in English, The Hyuuga Mother of Bad Luck)

He often cursed her in the older language. Both Hinata and Neji were raised being taught the old tradition language. She could understand his anger but Neji never knew the truth of why he was abandoned. Hinata was explained why Kyowa left by her own mother.

Flashback, (When Hinata says "Haha" she isn't laughing as Haha is an actually word in Japanese. Haha means Mother in English, due to the Hyuuga being an old noble clan, the chances are Hinata would never call her "mom" but "mother" for respect, just as the Uchiha clan, Sasuke and Itachi would have done the same with their mom)

"Haha, how come Neji-nii-san doesn't have a mother?" a young 16 year-old Hinata said. She had never got shy around her mother, she could tell her anything and it would never be repeated.

"You're not a child anymore Hinata, maybe it's time you knew the truth" Makita said, "Hizashi and Kyowa were deeply in love before the birth of Neji, they were due to marry but because Kyowa got pregnant before she was wed, Hizashi told her to never contact him again. Due to being pregnant before marriage, you're Grandfather saw this as a sin within the Hyuuga Clan and made Kyowa leave. If your Grandfather had his way, he would have made her have an abortion but this something Hiashi wouldn't allow"

"N-Nani? But why?" Hinata stuttered shocked.

"The truth is Hinata, I also got pregnant before I wed, it just made it look like I just got pregnant just after I got married. Hizashi knew of this too, but if it were found that I too got pregnant then in no doubt either you or Neji would have been killed, most likeliest would be Neji as he descends from the Branch family."

"So because of two unmarried women who were pregnant, it meant that Neji-nii's mother got sent away? You never told Ojii-san of me! Am I the reason Neji suffers?"

Running out the room in tears, it was her fault that Neji was so put down. Neither she nor him knew the reason why. Neji was hated because apparently his mother was some sort of slut who had a one-night with her uncle. Her birth was the reason. So no one dared mistreat her, the way they did to Neji just because she was the Head's daughter as well as the heiress.

Was she truly the reason…?

End flashback

How Hinata never forgave herself for ever asking her mother for such truth, no one knew why Neji hated her, if she'd never been born then he would never be treated the way he was.

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Okies I know it isn't very long but I can't update tomorrow because it's a friend's birthday and I can't come on because I might be sleeping over her place and yah…

How disappointing! I put my last chapter up and people added it to alert/faves list which I'm very grateful for but not one of you review, please review this one? If I'm a crap author then tell me then I'll scrap and delete all this story if it's causing this much dislike.

Kryssie xx 


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